RP now 4th largest shipbuilder

The Philippines is now the fourth largest shipbuilding country in the world, President Arroyo said Thursday during the courtesy call of Basil Ph Papachristidis, chairman of the Greek shipping company Hellespont.

Mrs. Arroyo said three shipbuilding companies have since set up shop in the Philippines, the first with a $700-million investment, followed by Hanjin with $6 billion, and the latest locator with $1.9 billion in investments, and which just signed a lease agreement for a piece of land in Mindanao, a Palace statement said.

Papachristidis paid a courtesy call on Mrs. Arroyo to propose the creation of a Philippine shipping company in cooperation with the Aboitizes.

The shipping executive was accompanied to the Palace by Endika Aboitiz, who said Hellespont wants to set up shop in the Philippines because the company prefers Filipino seamen.

The Philippines has become the “largest seafaring nation in the world,” with some 250,000 Filipino seamen making up 22 percent of the total ship crew worldwide, Aboitiz added.

Aboitiz said the shipping industry would like to seek the help of Mrs. Arroyo in getting Filipino youth to become seamen.

The Aboitiz Group of Companies celebrated its hundredth year in business yesterday.

Starting in 1907 with one ship dubbed “Picket” that transported hemp for trading across the Philippines, the Aboitiz family business has since “developed into a total transport solutions enterprise” moving passengers and cargo.

In 1975, Aboitiz pioneered containerization in the Philippines, offering door-to-door services.

By 1981, Aboitiz Air became the first all-cargo airline in the country, and later added its Superferry line in 1990.   – Paolo Romero